How do people in the Bay Area LIVE?

[Anonymous]

We live in the Bay Area. We spend a lot of time debating on moving solely because of the cost.
Everyone I know rents unless they purchased before the last housing boom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not that different form here Op. the middle class people in this area do drive from Prince William county or Frederick or even PA or WV. Dual income
Couples making $350k are living in very ordinary $1 million 3 bedroom 2 bath homes in Bethesda, Arlington or DC.

I used to live in San Francisco. It is very different. Here you could buy something small like a Fairlington townhouse for $400k and be fine. There even a small house in Redwood City would cost $1million. There are choices here that just don't exist there anymore. My friends all bought before the boom, and send their kids to catholic school. Some people are okay because they locked in lower prices. Everyone else is out of options. I used to share a flat with a friend on a receptionist's salary. Those days are way gone there now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not that different form here Op. the middle class people in this area do drive from Prince William county or Frederick or even PA or WV. Dual income
Couples making $350k are living in very ordinary $1 million 3 bedroom 2 bath homes in Bethesda, Arlington or DC.

I used to live in San Francisco. It is very different. Here you could buy something small like a Fairlington townhouse for $400k and be fine. There even a small house in Redwood City would cost $1million. There are choices here that just don't exist there anymore. My friends all bought before the boom, and send their kids to catholic school. Some people are okay because they locked in lower prices. Everyone else is out of options. I used to share a flat with a friend on a receptionist's salary. Those days are way gone there now.

+1. DC isn't even expensive. You can still buy a rowhouse with two bedrooms for less than a million dollars.

[Anonymous]

Um i don't think you are the demographic of the op. Clueless.

I may be clueless, but I got the hell out of the DMV before they called it that. Still this Forum may be the best thing on the interwebs...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Racism is a factor.

Okay, I'll bite. Why?

Because racism is always a factor, if not THE factor.

Racism makes the world go round.

[Anonymous]

We moved here from D.C. A few years ago and hate it. The area sucks (filthy, so many homeless people, terrible public transportation), the housing is so expensive (and were also lawyers). I don't understand the mentality of spending so much to get so little. It's really left a bad taste in my mouth. i hope to move in the next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not even a question...I will take my little house in the Bay Area over a larger home elsewhere, period. The quality of life, weather, access to beautiful places is amazing. Is it expensive, of course! is it worth it? Absolutely. FWIW, combined income in our household is just over $500K.

Um i don't think you are the demographic of the op. Clueless.

Seriously $500k!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved here from D.C. A few years ago and hate it. The area sucks (filthy, so many homeless people, terrible public transportation), the housing is so expensive (and were also lawyers). I don't understand the mentality of spending so much to get so little. It's really left a bad taste in my mouth. i hope to move in the next year.

Are you in city or Mt View Palo Alto etc? I thought those railroad towns were really nice and the weather... good schools too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Racism is a factor.

Okay, I'll bite. Why?

Because racism is always a factor, if not THE factor.

Racism makes the world go round.

What does this have to do with OP?

[Anonymous]

I know several decent families who share bedrooms with their school age kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know several decent families who share bedrooms with their school age kids.

I live in SF and have lived here over a dozen years. I don't know ANY parents who share bedrooms with school age kids. I shared a studio with DD when she was born, but we moved to a one bedroom when she was 5. I know a couple handfuls of families where the siblings share bedrooms with each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know several decent families who share bedrooms with their school age kids.

I live in SF and have lived here over a dozen years. I don't know ANY parents who share bedrooms with school age kids. I shared a studio with DD when she was born, but we moved to a one bedroom when she was 5. I know a couple handfuls of families where the siblings share bedrooms with each other.

So you probably bought before it was so expensive and associate with friends with similar background.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not that different form here Op. the middle class people in this area do drive from Prince William county or Frederick or even PA or WV. Dual income
Couples making $350k are living in very ordinary $1 million 3 bedroom 2 bath homes in Bethesda, Arlington or DC.

I used to live in San Francisco. It is very different. Here you could buy something small like a Fairlington townhouse for $400k and be fine. There even a small house in Redwood City would cost $1million. There are choices here that just don't exist there anymore. My friends all bought before the boom, and send their kids to catholic school. Some people are okay because they locked in lower prices. Everyone else is out of options. I used to share a flat with a friend on a receptionist's salary. Those days are way gone there now.

+1. DC isn't even expensive. You can still buy a rowhouse with two bedrooms for less than a million dollars.

+1. We just entertained a job offer in sf too. Decided it was a no, even though the salary would be high and we own our current house outright. Just cannot imagine having a $1,000,000 to $700,000 mortgage, even though the payments would be totally manageable. It's just not in my value system, regardless of how nice the weather is. D.C. Is totLly manageable compared to SF. Renting would be an okay option short term, but I wouldn't do it for the rest of my life. It just doesn't make any financial sense. It's really nice there, its
Just. It how we want to raise our family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved here from D.C. A few years ago and hate it. The area sucks (filthy, so many homeless people, terrible public transportation), the housing is so expensive (and were also lawyers). I don't understand the mentality of spending so much to get so little. It's really left a bad taste in my mouth. i hope to move in the next year.

Are you in city or Mt View Palo Alto etc? I thought those railroad towns were really nice and the weather... good schools too.

NP... I used to live in one of those "railroad" towns, and the only "affordable" homes are near the tracks. While Caltrain stops at about 11pm, CSX freight train goes by between 12am and 5am blowing their horns super load at every on-grade crossing. We moved.

OP - we moved out of the area. We had a combined HHI of about $350K to 400K but for the what you can get for your money and the state of the public schools there, we felt it wasn't worth it. I can be a sahm where we are now if I choose to be, and right now, I choose to be. Not so in Bay Area. And traffic has gotten really really bad. What used to take me 40min, now apparently takes about 1.5 hours.

The ones who bought well before the boom are ok. The ones who bought after are slaves to their mortgages. 1700sqft fixer upper for $1.5 million. And public school spending per child is something like $3000/per. It's ridiculous. I just couldn't justify it.

Yes, the weather and area is great. Love it. But, I had to think about the future, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Racism is a factor.

Okay, I'll bite. Why?

Rich white and Asian folk pricing others out.